Tag: self improvement

Favorite Podcasts For The New Year

On By Cultivate WellnessIn exercise, Health and wellness, life hack, Nutrition, self improvementLeave a comment

I love a good podcast. I’m going through a phase right now where I just want to learn as much as possible about how to improve my daily life, whether through exercise, mindfulness, life hacks, or any number of “self improvement” type actions. I specifically am attracted to podcasts that are short and sweet. I’ve given up or severely restricted most social media and it has freed up my brain for so much more useful information. Which means I’ve been listening to podcasts like crazy lately! Below are my current five favorites, plus one that I’m excited to start listening to when it premiers later this month.

Last summer I binged on what to this day is one of my most favorite of all podcasts, Happier In Hollywood. It’s hosted by two female television writers who have been writing partners since high school. While some of what they cover is lighthearted and fluffy (like how to find the perfect black purse), they are also full of excellent job, life, fitness, nutrition, and other advice that I find so useful. They have great guests. And it’s just really fun to boot.

Happier in Hollywood is an offshoot of the Happier podcast by Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen is a writer who researches happiness and her books The Happiness Project and Happier at Home, to name a few, might sound familiar. Her podcast is also chock full of advice, all of which is designed to help you maximize your happiness quotient.

I recently discovered The Magic Pill, a podcast hosted by a Harvard Medical School physician and a health journalist. Each snippet (they are all around 8 minutes or so) is full of great information geared to inspire us to make exercise a regular part of our life. We learn the science behind exercise and all the other benefits. This is a 21 day podcast in which each day you receive an email with that day’s episode. It’s fast, it’s fun and it’s full of great info.

NPR’s Life Kit has a similar podcast called Exercise: Learn to Love It (Or At Least Like It) and it’s similarly endearing. The first episode features Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s personal trainer. It’s about 20-ish minutes long, which is the perfect amount of time to go for a brisk walk while listening.

NPR’s Life Kit also has a new podcast called Eat Your Way To A Healthier Life which premiers in mid January. I’m including it here because the promo sounds great and I’m really excited for it. I also really respond to measured, scientifically-backed nutrition advice that isn’t sensationalistic.

And lastly, I will be listening intently to Side Hustle School. For anyone who has a “side hustle” (aka: a second venture beyond your full time job or something else you do on the side even if you don’t have a full time job that provides extra income and can help satisfy your entrepreneur cravings) or anyone who aspires to have a side hustle, this is a great podcast. Most episodes are 10 minutes or less and all are full of great insight and advice.

One more fun tidbit: if you have a podcast you love and want to introduce someone to it, you can use the Gift of Podcast free printable. It’s great for people in your life who don’t know how to use podcasts, as the printable gives step by step instructions. There’s also a spot for you to write the name of the podcast as well as why you recommend it. I put one in my husband and daughter’s stockings this year.

What are your favorite podcasts? Comment in the section below!

Good, better, best.

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, health, Health and wellness, wellness1 Comment

I have an insatiable need to better myself. I get excited by new opportunities to make positive changes, whether in nutrition, fitness, personal growth, or simply how to help our home life run more smoothly. I share this with my friend KC over at WordSavvy. She and I spend a lot of our time comparing ways we are working on improvements.  She has a much better handle on her side of things, and she even has a notebook to keep track. Me, I write little lists and post them in places I think I will spot them, like where I eat breakfast, and in the little nook in our mudroom. I think her way is better because I know she is 100% more on top of it than I am. But being around her helps reinvigorate my passion for this. I sort of consider her my improvement mentor.

Speaking of improvements, I’ve decided this summer that if I want to munch on something, I must start with a fruit or a veggie first (if it’s available). The fridge is stocked with sugar snap peas, blueberries, apples, clementines, baby carrots, mini sweet peppers,  and more. Veggies in particular are wonderful because they are full of vitamins and minerals with very few calories. So you can snack on a cup of sugar snap peas and if you decide you’re still hungry, then proceed to a heartier snack. There seems to be no downside to this. Did you know only 10% of American adults get the recommended amount of fruits and veggies each day? If I sometimes struggle, even knowing how good they are for me, I imagine it’s really difficult for most people. So try this approach maybe? And let me know how it goes. (A good portion of our fellow citizens can’t afford healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, or they live in an area called a nutritional desert, where it’s nearly impossible to shop for such items. If you find yourself with extra fresh produce, or a little extra cash, please consider donating it to your local food shelf.)

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